Evaporating machine

Types of evaporating machines

Industrial scale evaporation in food processing, chemical production, and other industries requires evaporating machines. Several types of evaporating machines are available, including falling film evaporators, rising film evaporators, forced circulation evaporators, thin film evaporators, batch evaporators, and continuous evaporators.

• Falling film evaporating machine:

The falling film evaporator machine is mainly composed of vertical tubes bundle, degree ring, heat exchanger shell, collector, feed pump, separator, and others. The falling film evaporator works by allowing the feed liquid to distribute on the surface of the vertical tubes in the form of thin film. During this process, the heat from the heating medium (steam) in the tube warms up the liquid film. The water in the liquid film gradually evaporates and vapours rise up and are collected by the separator.

• Rising film evaporating machine:

The rising film evaporator machine consists of a vertical cylindrical evaporator vessel, an electric heating element, a condensate return line, an injection pump, and a control system. The working principle of a rising film evaporator is to inject the feed liquid into the bottom of the evaporator vessel, which spreads to the upper part of the vessel by the force of buoyancy and pumping. The heat from the electric heating element heats the feed liquid. The water in the liquid quickly evaporates through the upward movement, and the vapour are collected at the top of the evaporator vessel.

• Forced circulation evaporating machine:

The forced circulation evaporator consists of a heat exchanger, a pump, a heating source, and a separation unit. The feed liquid is pumped into the heat exchanger by a pump. Heat from the heating source exchanges heat with the feed liquid in the heat exchanger. The liquid circulates in the system under the forced by the pump. The part of the liquid which does not evaporate is separated from the vapour by the separation unit.

• Thin film evaporating machine:

The thin film evaporator machine is made up of evaporating cylinder, spiral coil, heating steam pipe, discharge outlet, condenser, feed pump, and others. The feed liquid of the thin film evaporating machine is sent to the upper part of the evaporator cylinder by a pump. In the evaporating cylinder, the liquids are heated by the heating steam in the heating pipe and the function of gravity and centrifugal force, the liquids form thin film on the inner wall of the evaporating cylinder. Water in the film quick evaporate and the concentrated liquids go out from the discharge outlet, while the vapours is collected by the condenser.

• Batch evaporating machine:

Batch evaporators are typically made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant materials, ensuring durability and longevity. The design and structure of batch evaporators may vary according to specific application requirements. For example, in food processing, sanitary-standard evaporators should comply with food safety regulations.

• Continuous evaporating machine:

Continuous evaporators are a top evaporating option on the market. The main feature is that they can process a large volume of liquid at once by the continuous feed-in and discharge-out method. This helps to improve the productivity and efficiency of the entire production line. Continuous evaporator machines simplify the operating methods, which makes the maintenance and cleaning process of the equipment faster and more effective. Meanwhile, their high automation degree can reduce manual operating errors and enhance product quality stability.

Specifications & maintenance of evaporating machines

• Capacity:

  The ability of an evaporating machine to process a given volume of liquid per hour or day is indicated by its capacity. It is often stated in liters per hour (L/h) or liters per day (LPD). The bustling food and beverage industry often utilizes evaporating machines with varying capacities, depending on the amount of food product that needs to be processed. Some machines may only be able to evaporate 100 L of liquid in a day, while commercial-grade machines can evaporate up to 1,000 L/day.

• Thermal source:

  The evaporating machine's heat source is what supplies the heat necessary for the evaporation process. Different evaporating machines may have different heat sources, such as electric heaters, steam coils, or hot water jackets. The thermal source can affect the evaporating machine's efficiency, energy consumption, and suitability for particular applications. An evaporating machine powered by steam coils may be more efficient for industrial use than one with a simple electric heater.

• Temperature and pressure:

  Temperature and pressure are the two main driving forces of evaporation. Temperature affects the rate of evaporation and influences the final concentration of the evaporated liquid, while pressure influences the boiling point elevation and the overall evaporation efficiency. The temperature and pressure of the evaporating machine can be adjusted to optimize the evaporation process for different liquids and desired concentrations. Generally, the higher the temperature and lower the pressure, the faster the evaporation will be.

• Power consumption:

  Power consumption in evaporating machines refers to the amount of energy the machine consumes to carry out the evaporation process. This is often indicated in kilowatts (kW) or kilowatt-hours (kWh). Factors such as heating method, machine size, and efficiency all affect the power consumption. For example, a large falling film evaporator may consume 50 kW of power due to its larger size and capacity, while a small rotary evaporator may only consume around 5 kW.

It is vital that the operators of evaporating machines understand the significance of maintenance. From cleaning to regular performance checks of critical components like pumps and compressors, all parts must be lubricated and calibrated appropriately to avoid any inadvertent accidents during operation. Investing in a routine inspection schedule can help manufacturers detect minor faults before they turn into more serious issues, thus helping to save costs. Additionally, using high-quality lubricants can prolong the life of essential machine parts while improving performance efficiency. By doing these simple yet effective maintenance practices, businesses can ensure their evaporating machines will continue to deliver optimal results consistently.

Uses of Evaporating Machines in Industries

The applications of evaporating machines vary depending on the types of food industries. Some of the usual usage applications include:

• Dairy Industry: Dairy evaporating machines help to concentrate liquid foods such as milk, fruit juices, and flavored milk. The machine evaporates the water in the product to create a concentrated liquid that is more easily transported and stored. Additionally, dairy evaporating machines are used to produce milk powder, cheese whey powder, and evaporated milk. After concentrating the milk, the machine may also be used to dry the sprays.
• Food Industry: Automatic evaporating machines are used to concentrate or remove water from various foods, such as fruit juices, soups, sauces, and tomato paste. The resulting concentrated products are often used as ingredients in processed foods or sold as high-value commodities. They may also be used to prepare extract drinks like tea and coffee. Additionally, evaporating machines are used to produce food additives and preservatives, such as evaporated cane juice and concentrated vinegar. These substances are frequently added to a range of culinary products to improve flavor, shelf life, and nutritional content.
• Pharmaceutical Industry: The pharmaceutical evaporating machine is used to concentrateactive pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), herbal extracts, and fermentationbroths. By removing excess water, the evaporator helps increase theconcentration of valuable compounds, streamline formulation processes, andreduce manufacturing costs. Besides, pharmaceutical evaporating machines are used to produce concentrated solutions, syrups, and emulsions. These formulations are often used as raw materials for drugs, vaccines, andbiologics.
• Chemical Industry: Chemical evaporating machines concentrate chemicalsolutions, such as acids, alkalis, salts, and specialty chemicals, by removingexcess water or solvent. The concentrated solutions are then used invarious chemical manufacturing processes or sold as industrial chemicals.Chemical evaporating machines may also be used to treat wastewaterso as to reduce the volume of pollutants and facilitate the disposal orrecycling of residuals.
• Textile Industry: Textile evaporating machines are used to remove waterfrom textile fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, polyester, nylon, etc. Theconcentrated fiber slurry is then formed into disposable sheets, air-dried,and finally spun into yarns or fabrics. Besides, textile evaporating machinesconcentrate dye solutions and chemical finishes. The concentrated solutionsare used for dyeing textiles and for imparting specific properties to fabrics.
• Energy Industry: The energy sector evaporating machines are often used inbiomass power generation and waste treatment. They help to concentratetheting agents and reduce the volume of organic matter, thus facilitatingthe digestion and combustion processes.

How to choose evaporating machines

Before sourcing evaporating machines for customers, buyers are advised to search for those that have features and specifications that will meet industrial food processing needs.

• Production capacity

  The first thing buyers should consider is the production capacity of the evaporating machine they're going to purchase. Their customers might be small to large-scale food processing factories. An evaporator with a small processing capacity will not meet the needs of a large-scale food processing factory. On the other hand, an evaporating machine with a large processing capacity will be too costly for small food processing factories.

• Preservation of nutrition

  The second thing buyers should consider is whether the evaporating machine they're going to buy can preserve the nutrients of the food being evaporated. Some food processing factories like to have evaporators that can preserve the nutrition of various foods for consumer's health.

• Not leaking

  A suitable evaporating machine is one that has no leaking problems. Buyers should purchase evaporators that have good sealing performance and can reduce liquid leakage to a bare minimum, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the equipment.

• Sanitary standards

  Food-grade evaporating machines must meet specific sanitary standards. Therefore, buyers should look for those evaporators easy to clean and make sanitary materials.

• Warranty and after-sales support

  Warranties and after-sales support are things buyers should consider when evaluating potential suppliers. Good support means buyers won't have to worry when buying the evaporating machine.

Evaporating machine Q and A

Q1. Which industries use evaporating machines?

A1. The evaporating machine is widely used in the food processing industry. Also, the pharmaceutical and chemical industries rely on the evaporator for concentration.

Q2. What are the emerging trends in evaporating machines?

A2. The moving effect of the evaporating machine on the concentration of the substance has brought great convenience to the food processing industry. As the concentration of the evaporating machine becomes higher and higher, the substance that can be concentrated is not limited to the food field. The power supply used by the evaporating machine has gradually changed from a coal-fired power station to an electric power station that uses clean energy. This helps to bring down the carbon emissions in the environment and creates a green future for the earth.

Q3. what are the advantages of a falling film evaporator?

A3. Falling film evaporators, like those found on Alibaba, are well-known for their efficient heat transfer abilities and short retention times. The quick evaporation speeds offered by falling film evaporators are beneficial for industries looking to concentrate liquids rapidly. Their design also promotes the evaporation of viscous liquids without any complications, thus ensuring the equipment's durability. Falling film evaporators are relatively easy to clean and maintain, which allows for routine cleaning and thus promptly avoiding liquid contamination.

Q4. What are the benefits of multi-effect evaporators?

A4.Multi-effect evaporator machines have the potential to use the same amount of heat to process several evaporating stages. Thus, they offer a greater economic value over typical single-effect evaporators. Multi-effect evaporators also result in lower energy consumption and greater efficiency, which makes them ideal for use in large-scale industrial applications.